


Offspring

by Snootiegirl



Category: Star Wars Prequel Trilogy
Genre: Alternate Universe - Gender Changes, Empathy, F/M, Gender Swapping
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-01-03
Updated: 2015-01-03
Packaged: 2018-03-05 05:00:52
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 19,412
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3106988
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Snootiegirl/pseuds/Snootiegirl
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Would things have turned out differently if Anakin had had a female Master?</p>
            </blockquote>





	Offspring

**Author's Note:**

> This story was originally posted on FFN in multiple chapters.

**Originally Published: 02-04-13**

**Summary: If Anakin had had a female Master, would his life have taken a different path?**

**Disclaimer: I own none of these characters and make no money on the writing or publishing of this story. Disney owns everything Star Wars now.**

**Author Note: I'm a little obsessed with the notion that Obi-Wan could have averted galaxy-wide disaster if he had just loosened up a bit and really listened to Anakin about his problems. Anakin needs a sympathetic ear and someone to be in his corner, to have a family-like connection. He thought that Obi-Wan wasn't that person; therefore, Palpatine was. How tragic can a case of miscommunication be?**

**Author Note #2: Thank you to my beta reader, Temple Mistress. Your notes on this one made it a stronger story with a more consistent theme. Thanks for wading through it!**

Chapter 1

On the planet of Tattooine, a young slave worked in his master's junk shop. Until one day, he was freed from his bonds by a man, a special man. This man promised the boy that he would receive an education and become a very important part of the galaxy. And the boy was so happy to be fulfilling his destiny as well as his dreams.

When it was time to leave the planet, the man introduced the boy to his apprentice. "You're a Jedi too?" asked the boy. "Pleased to meet you!" Now the boy was truly happy. He had a new Master and a new best friend.

After the tragic death of his Master, the boy was taken as apprentice to the newly-knighted Obi-Wan Kenobi. Obi-Wan promised to train the boy to be a Jedi and gave him a hug to seal the deal.

The boy missed his Master, but he knew that his new Master would fill places in his heart that had been empty since leaving his mother behind in slavery on Tattooine. His new Master was kind, gentle, thoughtful, and beautiful. Just like his mother. He knew she was the right teacher for him.

"Anakin," Obi-Wan yelled. "You are not concentrating!" And with a swift move, she dislodged the boy's lightsaber from his hand. "I have bested you all afternoon. Is this really all you are capable of?"

Anakin was astonished. He had never seen that move before. His Master now had her back turned to him, and she was examining his lightsaber hilt. Dressed in her customary wheat-colored tunics that defined the Jedi order, Anakin suddenly noticed as he gazed at her straight back that he was more than eye-to-eye with his slim Master. He would enjoy being taller than her, even if it meant nothing about the true stature between them. He was also starting to thicken a little-finally! People would be able to tell them apart from a distance by more than just their hair color.

"Master, will you show me how to do that too?" he asked in awe. This woman still had so much to teach him.

His auburn-haired Master shook her head. Her shoulder-length hair was pinned up in a twist to stay out of her face while she sparred, but several tendrils had escaped to fall softly around her face. "Not until you are ready, young one. And after this afternoon, I think you're farther away from that day than you thought," she replied.

"Now, hit the 'fresher. You stink," she smiled with the last statement as she ruffled his spiky hair and handed his lightsaber back to him. He's getting too tall, she thought. I won't be able to reach his head in another year, and he's only 14! She eyed his lanky frame. His shoulders are starting to broaden and his arms lengthen-his reach will be longer than mine, she noted for future sparring reference.

Anakin grabbed a towel and wiped the sweat from his face. He couldn't help being distracted. His mind was elsewhere. His Master just didn't understand what it was like to be him. To feel the swarming of his hormones and fondest desires. To be distracted like this.

The new starfighters were in the Temple hangar today, and Master Koon told him he could sit in the cockpit of his later. Anakin could hardly contain his excitement. He hoped to talk the Master into letting him take it out for a short spin too. It made him tingle from head to toe just thinking about the smooth lines and supple controls of the fighter.

Shouting a farewell to his Master, he raced to their shared quarters to shower and change his tunics. She shook her head at his enthusiasm, secretly hoping he never lost it.

"Do you ever wish for a family of your own, Master? Children?" Anakin asked Obi-Wan during their traditional birthday celebration for his fifteenth birth anniversary.

Obi-Wan snorted. "I think I've had almost the length and breadth of the parenting experience with you, Anakin. No biological parent could have worked harder, caught more flack, or failed as miserably as I did with you," she responded.

"Failed, Master?" Anakin asked, confused. He was doing well in his classes this term. And she had just told him that his lightsaber sparring was improving through his work with Master Soara Antana. What could she have failed in?

"Yes, Anakin. You are still so quick to anger and selfish desires, despite my best efforts to train you to control them," she replied. Obi-Wan sighed and wondered if he would ever learn these lessons. Perhaps they were the one thing beyond the Chosen One.

Anakin rolled his eyes. Oh, that. They had had conversations about his emotions more times than he cared to remember. "I do try, Master. I just don't always succeed. I guess that's just one of my innate weaknesses." Anakin scowled at the need to admit weakness.

"As it is one of mine, Padawan," she reminded him gently. "But you can acknowledge the weakness and then strive to better it." He knew she was right. He would work on it, for his Master. So that she wouldn't have to feel that he was another weakness of hers.

"Well," Anakin answered trying to effect an innocent look on his face, "With your own kid, at least you could blame some of his failures on the father."

Obi-Wan gave him a withering look that closed the discussion.

 

 

Chapter 2

At twenty, he really was taller than she was, but she didn't mind. She could use her compact stature to her advantage while using his height and bulk against him. It was wise not to underestimate a small, female Jedi. A good lesson for her Padawan.

She attacked with a ferocity that surprised even her. Apparently, the Force wanted something more focused for their sparring today. As she sprang toward him, he jumped to the side, allowing her to complete her leap and turn to meet his upheld lightsaber with hers. He smiled into her face, and she shoved at him with a Force push. There would be no indulgences for him today.

Before he could regain his footing, she was there slashing at him again. He felt the heat of the saber as it passed close to his face. Anakin was a little surprised at the fervor with which Master Obi-Wan was attacking today. But he enjoyed a spirited match. He might even have a few surprises up his sleeve for his petite Master.

Leaning into his swordplay now, he slashed forward to force her back. She gave way, as was her style of fighting. But he wouldn't let himself become overconfident. He would keep himself centered and not over-pursue. The smile returned to his face as he continued to make headway across the practice room.

Obi-Wan was fond of using acrobatics to keep her opponents off balance. However, hundreds of hours of sparring practice between Master and Padawan made these techniques less surprising than practiced and predictable to this particular opponent. She knew that she'd have to come up with something different if she wanted to push Anakin to new areas of improvisation. She started by bringing the conflict close into her body.

Shortening her strokes, she decreased the space between them, enough to be able to sneak in a punch to the solar plexus. Anakin was not expecting it, and he stumbled back with a shocked look on his face. Clutching where she had punched him, he seem to consider a moment before charging again. Did that get his ire up, she wondered.

In response to her surprise, Anakin introduced one of his own. He slowed the pace of the fighting. She never would have thought him capable of such a thing, deliberately drawing out the time that their sabers hissed and spit at each other as they tested each others' endurance. She knew that she wouldn't last long against him in an all-out battle of bodily strength, so she stepped back from his reach, leapt to his left, and came down overhead with her saber trying to catch him from this weaker side.

Instantly picking up his pace again, Anakin raised his lightsaber in a block over his left shoulder, tip pointed down toward the ground. The sputtering of the two blades was loud in his ear. He used his arm strength to throw his Master back with the saber, momentarily causing her to stumble before she leaned impossibly far into a back-flip that corrected her balance. With a flourish of her blue blade, she beckoned him to try again.

Now, Anakin was starting to get frustrated. What was this lesson supposed to be teaching him? Patience? Spontaneity? He dismissed the thoughts from his mind and narrowed it back to the moment. He wouldn't let her get the best of him with her trademark Kenobi tricks. He knew what she was capable of. If he couldn't outthink her, he'd just have to out-brash her. In ways that only the brashest Anakin Skywalker was able to do.

Using his strong connection to the Force, Anakin commenced a barrage of strikes on his Master that would have left anyone else gasping at the sheer speed and agility of the sword-wielder and his saber. But this was what Obi-Wan had anticipated. He fell right into her plans like a nexu in a tiger trap. At this rate, he would be breathing through his mouth in no time, and then she would have him.

Obi-Wan allowed Anakin his speed and aggression. She parried quickly but with as little motion as possible, conserving her energy. And she kept her steps backward as tight as possible. He could try to quicken or lengthen her steps to wear her down, but she would resist that as well. Ah, Padawan, you cannot resist your own nature, can you? She knew it was simultaneously his greatest strength and his greatest weakness.

Soon enough, Anakin missed a step. Obi-Wan made sure to note it. And there was another. She grinned ruefully. She searched his face for signs of fatigue or distraction. She saw neither. What was the misstep then? She decided to try some advanced techniques to see how he would meet her. Arc for arc; move for move. She introduced something and he countered it. Impressive, she thought.

But it was a tiger trap built for two in the end. Before she knew what was happening, Obi-Wan could feel the build-up of the Force around Anakin. He kept up his barrage of slashes at a lightening pace even as he gathered this extra power. She had been wrong. He hadn't been expending all of his energy. And he hadn't missed those steps from anything other than purpose. He had tricked her into thinking that he was losing control when it was truly the opposite.

He seethed with power. And when he finally dislodged her lightsaber from her hands, threw her to the ground, and landed atop of her with his saber at her throat, she could even taste the power. It radiated out of him, through her, and into the vast room. The air shimmered and wavered. And then it was gone. Dissipating as quickly as it had moved through her body.

Moving her jaw as little as possible, minding the lightsaber poised there, she murmured, "Excellent."

Anakin deactivated the lightsaber, and removed himself from his Master's frame. He offered her a hand. She gratefully accepted it and stretched out her back from its sudden meeting with the floor. Now, Anakin panted and showed the stress this exercise had had on him. He exhaled deeply and searched for his Master's eyes.

"Are you all right?" he asked her.

"I am well, Padawan," she replied. "And you?"

"I am . . . . intrigued. What did it feel like to you when the Force rippled through the room?" Anakin asked to gauge whether his Master truly was fine or if she was just being her usual stoic self.

"Frankly, it felt like, like you. I could feel you in the Force. You have a great deal of Light in you, Anakin. I hope that never changes." Obi-Wan put her hand on his shoulder and squeezed lightly. "And now, I will retire. You wore me out!" She blew her bangs out of her face and smiled.

Anakin bowed slightly. "Yes, Master," was his only reply as he watched her exit. He thought she looked different somehow than she had just minutes before.

The door opened, and eleven-year old Anakin ran in. He kept his eyes down to avoid even seeing his Master, much less having to interact with her. He was ashamed; his cheeks were burning from the shame and the tears that had already spilled. Bantha poodoo! Those guys are just Bantha poodoo, he thought as he wiped at his eyes with the back of his hand. I don't care, he added, knowing full well that it was a complete lie.

Anakin's transition to Temple life from being a slave had been jarring. The serenity of life here. The lack of violence and strife. He appreciated all of it, but it was not what he was used to. And he had been completely cut off from the one person who had loved him unconditionally. He was not used to being one of many in the eyes of his caretakers. He had had a mother. The other Padawan barely remembered their mothers and had been living in the Temple for nearly their whole lives. They didn't understand him.

And Anakin's rumored 'Chosen One' status was making him a target for hostility and jealousy from his peers too. Ironically, the other Padawan weren't jealous that he supposedly had a special destiny. In fact, they kept at him that there was nothing special about him. He was just a former slave. They didn't know what it was like to have someone love them simply for who they were. Or have someone encourage them to succeed from that place of love.

The Masters at the Temple weren't awful like slave owners, but they didn't love the Padawan either. Each one was the same as the next to the Jedi. They were given the exact same instructions and the exact same expectations. But Anakin wasn't like all the others. He was special! He just didn't want to be bullied because of it.

And he couldn't help but suspect that at least some of the Masters were turning a blind eye to his situation. He didn't mind if some Jedi didn't believe in the prophesy. That was their prerogative. He knew in his heart that he was special regardless of any prophesy-no one would ever dictate his fate again. But that didn't mean that anyone should let their petty, small-minded Force's-gift-to-the-Jedi Padawan tell me that I am no better than they are, Anakin seethed. And what really angered him was that he was supposed to just accept the torment and not let it affect him. He was supposed to be the better person. Screw that!

Anakin flopped face-down on his bed and gave in to the bitter tears he had been holding. The rooms were all dark, meaning his Master wasn't here yet. He could have some time to himself before she required an accounting of his day. He wasn't sure why she insisted on knowing what he did during the day when she wasn't with him. She had grown up in the Temple; she knew what it was like to be a Padawan. Classes, training, field trips. He doubted much had changed in the past one hundred years of Jedi training, much less within the past twenty. He didn't like needing to lie to his Master, but he didn't want to appear weak by complaining about his treatment by the other Padawans.

By the time Obi-Wan arrived home, Anakin was cleaned up and reading homework on a datapad in the common room. He was sitting cross-legged on the couch, appearing for all the galaxy to just be studying. But his mind had been a million miles away at that moment, reliving some of the more cutting comments from the day. His head snapped up at the sound of the door.

"Master," he greeted her in her preferred sedate manner. He would have liked to have jumped up to hug her like he always did with his mom. But Obi-Wan wasn't his mom. She was his teacher. And she was a Jedi. Overt displays of affection made her very uncomfortable.

"Anakin," she returned the greeting. She set down the stack of datapads she had been carrying with a sigh and a grunt. "Homework for both of us, tonight, I believe," she remarked. Anakin smiled. Opportunity to spend time together without interacting. He would take that. His Master's Force presence was a great balm to his pain. But he didn't want to talk about his day.

"But, first, dinner," she stated emphatically. "Come, Padawan, you can chop."

They worked side-by-side in the kitchen preparing a modest meal for themselves. They could have dined in the Temple commissary, but they both preferred to have some time away from others at the end of the day. Besides, when Obi-Wan had a solo mission and was gone overnight or for days, Anakin was forced to venture out for food or subsist on uncooked grains and fruit exclusively. A growing boy needed more nourishment than that afforded. He found that his appetite had increased tenfold since coming the the Temple. It was the best part of his experience so far. Unlimited access to food.

To try to keep the focus off of himself and his day, Anakin kept up the litany of questions for his Master. She was used to this by now. And she also knew that the more 'enthusiastic' he was in his questioning, the bigger thing he was trying to cover up. She let it go for a while, but when Anakin dug into his dessert, his time was up.

"How was your day, Anakin?" she asked innocuously. Anakin scowled immediately and then remembered himself. He looked up into her eyes. She raised an eyebrow at him, clearly daring him to lie to her.

"Um," Anakin said and bit his lip. "It was-

"Don't lie to me, Padawan," she forestalled him making the decision.

Anakin hung his head, refusing to meet her eyes again. "It's nothing I can't handle, Master," he offered.

She put her utensil down and crossed her arms. "Anakin, you are young, still a student, my student, and you are not expected to 'handle' everything on your own. Let me help you. It's what I'm here for." Unbeknownst to Anakin, Obi-Wan had been checking up on him. She had observed him in classes as well as quizzed his teachers and a few older Padawan. She was concerned about his transition to the Jedi way of life and the Temple. So she had an inkling of what was bothering the boy.

Anakin felt his cheeks reddened in anger, humiliation, and shame. He didn't want to let his Master know that he was having any problems at all. This was what he had wanted for years. To be trained to be a Jedi. And, as far as he was concerned, Jedi didn't have weaknesses. His Master certainly didn't.

"Master," he began timidly, "I know that a Jedi does not seek to be recognized for his accomplishments. And I know that we are all equal in the eyes of the Force, but-" He stopped when he finally looked up at his Master. Cut to the chase, Anakin, he thought. "The other Padawans said that I shouldn't be here. That I'll never be a Jedi even if I am the Chosen One."

"And how many of these Padawan are sitting on the Council these days," Obi-Wan asked in an amused tone. She would try to shake him out of his mood with some humor.

Anakin scowled. She was making fun of him!

Obi-Wan realized her mistake as soon as she saw his expression close down. Whoops. Not a joking moment. She tried another tack. Placing a hand on his small shoulder, she leaned closer to him and lowered her voice, "I apologize if you thought I was trying to shame you, Anakin. It was an ill-timed joke. However, you know as well as I do that these Padawan do not make the decisions about who will be trained or who will be Knighted." She looked into his eyes to make sure he was listening to her.

"And besides," she continued. "We all have weaknesses. These Padawan are jealous of you and your gifts, Anakin."

Anakin raised his head as she spoke of weakness. "How did you get over your weaknesses, Master?" he asked in a quiet voice.

Obi-Wan couldn't help but smile now. "Well, now, that's an after-dinner story, Padawn. Please clear the table and then join me in the common room."

Obi-Wan used the time it took Anakin to clean up to consider her answer to his powerful question. After they were both seated on the couch, she began. "Weakness is something that we as Jedi spend a great deal of time thinking about, isn't it? Sometimes humans are aware of their own weaknesses, but precious few spend the amount of time we do trying to overcome them. But, understand this Anakin, having weaknesses is not the weakness. Ignoring or indulging them is the weakness we seek to overcome. It is in the struggle that we succeed."

She continued, "And as for overcoming my own weaknesses, it is still a daily battle. I have a temper, Padawan. Perhaps you don't know that," she smiled kindly at him, "but it's true. Master Qui-Gon had his hands full with me when I became his Padawan." She stopped a moment wondering just how much she wanted to share with Anakin about her past. Well, I guess if I'm going to make him be honest with me . . .

"In fact, a great deal of my anger came from the fact that I almost was not chosen to be anyone's Padawan, Anakin." She waited to see his reaction. He spluttered and looked like she had told him that she was a Sith.

"You, Master? How is that possible? You're the best Jedi ever!" Anakin was still young enough to favor hyperbole.

Obi-Wan smiled at his enthusiasm. "Well, young one, I was on my way to the AgriCorps when Master Qui-Gon decided I would be his new Padawan." She paused, letting the emotions from that time wash over her and dissipate into the Force. "And even though I was grateful for his choice, I still had lingering anger over the situation. I still feel it sometimes. My weakness was also an inability to forgive and to place my life more firmly in the hands of the Force. The Force knows the paths of our lives, Anakin. We must trust that the galaxy will unfold as it should."

Anakin held his silence. He knew that what his Master was sharing with him was deeply personal and private. He was reeling. Master Obi-Wan not a Jedi?

Obi-Wan wanted to wrap this discussion up because they both did have other work to attend to, but she saw the importance of this talk as well. "So you see, Padawan, everyone has weakness. I do; you do; all of us. But you and I have learned something else this evening, I believe. We have learned that weaknesses do not have to be hidden between friends. I want you to be able to trust me, Anakin. I want you to know that our relationship is give-and-take even though I am your Master and you are my learner. There need be no secrets. Is that acceptable to you?"

"Yes, Master," Anakin replied and smiled. "Thank you. I feel better and stronger. I will meditate on what you have said about the journey away from weaknesses, Master."

"Good, Anakin. Now, resume your studies." Obi-Wan left him on the couch and returned to the kitchen table where she had more room to distribute multiple datapads at once.

 

 

Chapter 3

Anakin arose at his customary hour and made his way to the kitchen for some needed nourishment. He yawned and ran a hand through his bedhead as he searched through the cupboards for something appealing. He wore only his sleep pants since the night had been warm.

Drinking some juice directly from the cold bottle, he was startled and spilled a little of the equally cold liquid onto his bare abdomen when Obi-Wan said from behind him, "Really? After ten years, have I taught you no better than to drink directly from the bottle?" She shook her head at him.

"Master?" Anakin asked curiously when he turned to find that she looked like she had just woken up as well. Dressed in her robe which was cinched tightly around her waist, her red hair, although only shoulder length, was sticking out in some interesting angles. "What are you still doing here? You never sleep in."

She answered with a big yawn and uncharacteristically slumped into a chair at the kitchen table. "Please get us a couple of glasses, Padawan. I'd like some juice too." She rubbed the sleep out of her eyes as he complied and approached the table. Seating himself across from her, he poured the juice and handed her a glass.

Stifling another yawn, Obi-Wan sipped her juice. "I've been tired lately. Too much spirited sparring, maybe," she said with an arched eyebrow. Anakin returned the expression with doubt. That had been weeks ago.

Obi-Wan sighed and closed her eyes. She looked close to falling asleep in her chair, so Anakin stood up and swept her into his arms. "I'm putting you back to bed and calling Barriss to check on you," he said. When she started to protest both the ride and the visit from the Healer, Anakin would brook no arguments. "You are not yourself, Master."

Setting her on her feet in her bedroom, he tugged at the cloth belt of her robe which gave way immediately. Parting the heavy terry, he slid it off of her arms. She wore a plain nightgown that hit her just above the knees. Anakin snuck a look at her shapely legs. He rarely got to see her without pants and boots. The smooth curve from her ankle to her calf looked like an artist had lovingly fashioned her legs to epitomize femininity and grace. And strength. He knew she was very strong, and he appreciated that as much as the softer nature of her legs.

Using the back of her hand to shield yet another yawn, she started to walk toward the bed that seemed to be calling her name. Her nightgown sleeveless, he was also able to glimpse the arms that had bested him in sparring matches for years. How could so much butt-kicking be housed in those delicate limbs, he thought. Looking past her to the bed, Anakin shook his head as he realized that she had already made it after getting up moments before. He pulled the covers down for her, but she hesitated.

"'Fresher," she said and then dashed out the door. Anakin waited to ensure that she actually laid down when she came back, sitting down on the side of the narrow bed. He had been in his Master's bedroom before. He used to crawl in with her to quell nightmares when he was young. However, adolescence had stopped that practice. Her bedroom did not seem any different from the way it was all those years ago. He could smell her scent and feel her Force presence as both permeated the furniture and the bedding.

When Obi-Wan returned, she walked slowly, deep in thought. She stopped and looked at Anakin sitting on her bed. Her mind made up, she walked over to him and took both of his hands in hers. She pulled him to standing and then began to move his arms to her shoulders. Understanding her intention, he continued to encircle her as her arms wound around his bare chest and she gently laid her head against him. She held him lightly, and he mirrored her. When she pulled out of the hug, she smiled up at him. "I just felt that I needed a hug from a friend. Thanks."

"No problem, Master," Anakin replied and swept his hand toward her waiting bed. This time she slipped wordlessly slipped between the sheets. Her entire body relaxed into the mattress immediately. She murmured contentedly and snuggled into the pillow. Anakin smiled in indulgence and left her to her nap.

On the comm moments later, Anakin said, "I'm worried about her, Barriss. She hasn't been herself for the past few days. But you know Obi-Wan, she refuses to even entertain the idea that there is anything wrong with her." He rolled his eyes even though Barriss couldn't see it.

"I understand, Anakin. Why don't I drop by later today as a social call? I can observe her and see if I see anything worrisome," she offered.

Anakin felt relieved. "Thank you, Barriss. That's a good idea. See you then."

Barriss crossed the threshold to Anakin and Obi-Wan's private quarters with a carefully neutral expression on her tattooed face. She didn't want to upset Obi-Wan or take a chance on giving away her ulterior motives for the visit. She and Anakin had concocted some elaborate ruse about an old acquaintance of theirs that she had come over to 'gossip' about. It was a reasonable supposition given they used to do it fairly frequently.

Obi-Wan sat in her usual after-dinner spot perusing datapads with reports from the Council. Anakin and Barriss chatted lightly on the couch together, the Healer's eyes sliding toward the Master as often as she could to observer her behavior. After half an hour, Barriss departed with quiet assurances to Anakin at the doorway that he needn't worry overly about his Master. She didn't seem in imminent danger or anything.

Anakin was mildly reassured by Barriss' words. But he still hurried to meet up with her the following morning in her small office in the Healer's ward.

"So tell me what you think, Barriss," Anakin asked before he even dropped into a chair.

Barriss folded her hands across her desk and looked at Anakin. Males, she thought. She cleared her throat and said, "She seems to have a healthy appetite considering she was snacking the whole time I was there, and you had both had dinner already." She would have to go slowly with this diagnosis, she predicted.

"Yes, and?" Anakin was growing impatient already.

"And she used the 'fresher frequently," she added.

"So?" Anakin's eyebrows were furrowed. What was Barriss getting at? What was wrong with Obi-Wan?

"Anakin," Barriss said gently, "Have you noticed that Obi-Wan seems a little, well, more, um, full? You know, do her tunics seem to have trouble fitting?" Barriss wasn't sure if she was going to have to spell this out for Anakin or if he would pick up on her hinting so she added a little hand gesture toward her own chest. It wasn't that Barriss was incapable of being forthright and direct about any medical condition she diagnosed. But she felt that in this case, she almost had two patients-Obi-Wan and the clueless Anakin.

Anakin shook his head and looked pleadingly at Barriss, "I don't understand. Please just tell me before I-" he didn't want to follow his almost-threat through with his friend.

Barriss sighed. "All right. It is my considered opinion that Obi-Wan might be pregnant."

Anakin and Obi-Wan had been sent by the council to represent the Order at the wedding of the Grand Marshall of Tooch. He was marrying the princess from the neighboring planet of Yoont. Both planets had been experiencing a dramatic decrease in birth and the resultant shrinking of their populations. Scientists from both worlds had determined that the genetic variation between them could solve the problem for the populations of both planets. It was the Council's fervent hope that this easy assignment would help Padawan Skywalker learn more about the diplomatic function of the Jedi. After six years of training, he seemed to have picked up almost none of his Master's finesse for such things.

The Grand Marshall was the first to propose a royal union with a daughter of Yoont as a symbol of the need to produce children with the genetic variation. He had never actually met the princess, but as a ruler, he was willing to forego personal considerations for the good of the people. He hoped his example would encourage others on his planet as well as educate them about the similarities of their cultures. After all, he said, raising families is at the center of all of our lives.

The Republic was eager to encourage a population boom on two loyal planets. Therefore, the Jedi were included in the entourage sent from Coruscant to witness the union. The cultural advisors from both courts had spent months combining the wedding traditions of both planets to create something new. They would dress as on Tooch, but the language of the service would more closely reflect those used on Yoont. The food served at the reception feast would be a mixture of delicacies from both places.

Obi-Wan spent a great deal of time on the trip to Tooch researching the cultures of the two planets. He was surprised at the differences and the similarities. Their religious predilections were very similar, but their social structures were vastly different based on fundamental differences in their genetic makeup.

Yoont was matriarchal and most people lived in homes with at least four generations of family, the lifespan of the Yoont usually exceeding 150 standard years. The Tooch, on the other hand, lived an average of 60 years and never even reached sexual maturity until the last 20 years of their lives. They were a people of older parents to younger children; whereas, the Yoont were fertile for over 100 years. But, as the Grand Marshall had pointed out, the family was still the basic nuclear structure for both peoples.

Obi-Wan thought that the Tooch would be gaining all of the genetic advantage of intermarrying with a group of people who lived longer and could reproduce for a greater length of time. But then he discovered the value in the Tooch physiology. They evolved quickly. Their genetic make-up changed during their lifetime as they grew, learned, and adapted. Therefore, a Toochan's offspring might actually be ten times as smart, as athletic, as talented as its parent was when the parent was born.

This shortened cycle of genetic mutation had moved their society at an accelerated rate as well. The Tooch had moved from Bronze Age technology to intergalactic travel in half the time of the Yoont. The younger and more fluid culture prompted him to mobilize his people for this grand experiment first. Change was a part of the lives of Tooch.

Anakin, of course, did not do any reading before the mission. He didn't really care what this was all about. All he needed to know was that he didn't have to 'officially' do anything except attend and eat some alien cuisine. That he could handle. It wasn't until the reception that he even became aware that the 'happy couple' weren't very acquainted with each other, much less in love.

Obi-Wan was the one to point this out to him. "They seem a good match, all things considered," she remarked to Anakin while they ate.

"What do you mean, all things considered?" Anakin asked with his mouth full.

Obi-Wan wrinkled her nose in distaste. "Well, considering that this marriage is all about producing offspring to shore up the populations of both of these planets-" she was cut off.

"What? They're supposed to produce that many kids? How is that even possible?" Anakin spluttered.

"Well, if you had read the briefing materials, Anakin, you would have read about long lifespans for one thing. But to answer your question, no, this particular couple isn't supposed to repopulate the planets all by themselves. They are leading by example and hoping to inspire others to do the same."

"So they're getting married only to mate?" Anakin asked, wiping his mouth off with a napkin.

"Vulgar, but accurate," replied Obi-Wan, visibly relieved that Anakin even had a napkin much less that he had used it. "However, who knows how it will turn out? Arranged marriages have proven to produce as many happy couples as other methods."

"Pah," spat Anakin. "I'd never marry someone just to have younglings. How could they stand it if they didn't love each other?

"You will never marry at all, for younglings or otherwise, my Padawan," Obi-Wan reminded him.

"Yeah, well, I mean, I know," Anakin covered.

 

 

Chapter 4

Barriss' word 'pregnant' dropped like a bomb in the room. Anakin tried not to recoil, but he felt like he had been caught in the ordinance blast. He stiffened. He gaped. He couldn't do much else.

Barriss tried to rescue him, "Is there someone she has been seeing?" Even if there was, Obi-Wan was perfectly cognizant of how to prevent this sort of condition from occurring. That more than anything was bothering Barriss-how did this happen?

Anakin frowned slightly. Was there? How could there be? They were together almost all of the time. He replied slowly, "I don't think so." He was just at a loss of what to think. He felt so many conflicting emotions, most of which he was pretty sure he shouldn't be feeling-shock, amazement, worry, joy, jealousy, fear, and the list went on and on. Obi-Wan? His Master? Carrying someone's child?

He looked up at Barriss. "Could you be wrong?" he asked trying not to sound so hopeful.

"Of course, I could be, Anakin. Without a test, it is too early to do other than speculate. However, I wanted to prepare you for the possibility. Maybe you should talk to Obi-Wan yourself." Barriss knew she was pointing out the obvious course of action, but something told her that Anakin needed to hear the obvious right now.

Anakin stood, distracted, and bumped into her desk as he tried to make his way to the door. "Sorry, Barriss, I'll, um, talk to you later. Thanks," he mumbled on his way out.

Unfortunately for Anakin, he had duties to attend to all day which prevented him any more close observation of his Master. But he knew that she was busy as well. They always met for dinner when they were on-planet. He would talk to her then, he vowed.

When he entered their quarters, they were suspiciously dark even though he was late for their usual dinner time. He had been held up by a Junior Senator and had done his best not to kill the young man in order to extricate himself. Since Obi-Wan did all the cooking-Anakin was hopeless with food except to eat it-he would have expected to come home to smells from the kitchen. But the lack of food cooking as well as the dark immediately had him suspicious.

He flipped on all of the lights and called out, "Master?" He heard a muffled sound from the direction of the 'fresher. Shedding his cloak quickly, Anakin stomped to the door and knocked. "Master, are you in there? Are you all right?" He heard another muffled response that just served to further upset him.

He made an impulsive decision to open the door. He had never imposed on Obi-Wan's privacy before, wouldn't think of in the normal course of events. But all that had happened lately had him in so much confusion that he wasn't sure which rules still applied. Is she wasn't well, then he needed to get in there, no matter what.

The sight that greeted his eyes did nothing allay his worries. Obi-Wan, fully dressed but without boots, lay draped over the 'fresher toilet. She was covered in sweat and breathing thickly. When she lifted her head to look at him, her bleary eyes were full of tears, the result of painful retching. "Anakin," she croaked out and reached a hand toward him. "I'm not well. Virus or something. Help me to bed?"

Anakin took charge of his Master. Helping her gently to her feet, he led her to her bed. She groaned in pain and nausea. Quickly, he found a trashbin to place next to the bed. He hesitated only a moment before beginning to undress her. She needed to be comfortable. He parted the thick outer tunics and gently eased them down her arms. She groaned at the effort of lifting her shoulders to help slip out of the clothing. Once free, he discarded the soiled tunics on the floor. Luckily, nothing had seeped through to the thinner undertunic that she had on. She started to list toward her pillow since relieved of the weight of the heavier fabric, letting out a grunt as her head connected.

He looked at his Master curled up in the fetal position, shivering and sweating at the same time. Was she? he wondered absently. Well, at least this onset of vomiting gave him the perfect excuse to compel his Master to see the Healers. She could hardly put up much of a fight, looking as miserable as she did. "I'll get you some tea, Master," he told her. On the way to the kitchen, he commed Barriss and filled her in on the situation. She promised to swing by within the hour.

Anakin answered the front door and ushered Barriss to the doorway of Obi-Wan's bedroom. They exchanged a glance full of unsaid conversation. Then Barriss entered and closed the door behind her.

Obi-Wan cracked an eyelid at the sound of the door closing. "Barriss," she managed to choke out.

Barriss approached the bed and assumed her Healer persona. She placed a hand on Obi-Wan's forehead to test for fever. She looked into her eyes. She questioned Obi-Wan with yes or no questions to make it easy for the patient to answer. "Have you been experiencing this vomiting and nausea for more than today? Have you been urinating more frequently? Very thirsty and hungry? Exhaustion?" Each question brought an affirmative nod.

Barriss took a deep breath. "Are your breasts tender, Obi-Wan?" She watched the Master for her reaction.

Obi-Wan, for all the fog in her head caused by the intense vomiting, suddenly realized what Barriss was hinting. Mustering her most collected voice, she replied, "Well, Barriss. I hate to do this to you, but you leave me no choice. You yourself administered my hormone shot to prevent such situations." She raised an eyebrow at Barriss. "Plus,"she continued a little less smugly, "I do believe that I am only half equipped myself to induce such a condition without the aid of a partner." Then she closed her eyes on the matter.

"So there is no one, then?" Barriss asked.

Obi-Wan kept her eyes closed. "No," she said roughly.

Barriss returned to her brisk Healer attitude. "Well, we should probably run some tests in the medical ward in any event. You are clearly not well, Master Kenobi."

Obi-Wan's response was a groan followed by, "This deal gets worse all the time."

As Barriss rose to leave the room, Obi-Wan's voice caught her. "Please," she said, "don't say anything about this to Anakin. He worries . . . ."

Barriss bowed slightly and answered, "Of course, Master." She exited the bedroom and closed the door firmly behind her. Anakin hovered. Barriss looked at him sympathetically. "We'll run some tests, Anakin," was all that she would offer him.

The next day, Obi-Wan sat uncomfortably in the medical shift she was forced to don when she entered the Healer's ward. Why can't they keep the heat turned up a bit, she wondered as she shivered. She had already been poked and prodded enough to feel like someone's experiment, but she still had no answers. She swallowed down another wave of nausea in the meantime.

Obi-Wan felt Barriss approaching. She also felt that Barriss was troubled. What could be so terrible? When the Healer entered the room, she looked at the patient and arranged her features to betray no emotions.

With no preamble, she announced, "The test was positive. Six weeks. Human." She set down the datapad on the counter in the room and looked at Obi-Wan. She didn't know what she expected to see. Obi-Wan's mask never wavered, so Barriss continued. "I have vitamins for you to take, and given your 'advanced maternal age' you'll want to follow a strict diet to minimize the strain on your body. That should also help with the nausea. And," she paused, "I will be informing the Council. Unless you would prefer to do so yourself," she offered.

"Please inform them, but let them know that I will give a full accounting myself soon," Obi-Wan instructed Barriss. Barriss made a small bow of obedience."Does informing the Council trouble you, Barriss? I can sense you are uneasy about something else."

Barriss' eyes shifted to the side momentarily. She couldn't fool a Master. "Yes, Master Obi-Wan, there is something else. We did a midichlorian count on the fetus. It is a high number."

Obi-Wan nodded. She had figured that they would run that test and that the child would have a high enough count. But how high? "How high?" she asked tentatively.

"It's the highest in the Temple beside one other Jedi," she said. Obi-Wan's eyes widen momentarily and then her face betrayed no emotion again.

"I will speak with him myself, Barriss. Thank you. May I go now?" Obi-Wan pushed herself off of the examination table and walked to her clothing. She didn't really have to wait for Barriss to dismiss her since she wasn't admitted to the ward. Barriss left quietly to let Master Kenobi change in private.

 

 

Chapter 5

Obi-Wan's mind was in a tumult. As she walked through the placid Temple that she had called home for the past three decades and all of her adult life, she tried to integrate this new development into what she knew of physiology, the Code, and the Force. She came up with three recurring questions. How did this happen? When did it happen? And most importantly, why did it happen?

Instead of returning to her quarters or pursuing some other minor duty assigned to her, Obi-Wan found an empty meditation room and sat down for a lengthy session. Unfortunately for her, she had to periodically leave the room to find a 'fresher. But other than 'fresher breaks, she was able to gain some serenity and acceptance through her time communing with the Force. If this was the will of the Force, then who was she to not accept it as a gift? Who was she not to be grateful?

Sitting in the waning sunlight of Coruscant on her meditation pad, Obi-Wan heard the door to the room open for the first time because of a being other than herself. She was just finishing up anyway. When she opened her eyes, she saw Masters Yoda, Windu, and Shaak Ti. She knew immediately that they were there to see her.

Obi-Wan bowed her head and said, "Masters. You are no doubt here to discuss my new condition?"

Yoda was the first to advance toward her. He placed a hand on her shoulder and gave what could only be described as a smile. "Glowing in the Force you are, Obi-Wan. Congratulations to you."

Obi-Wan returned the smile. "Thank you, Master Yoda."

While Yoda had been speaking, the other two Masters had sat delicately on other meditation pads. Mace's brow was furrowed deeply. He seemed to be looking at Obi-Wan as if he had never seen her before. Obi-Wan looked him in the eyes and asked, "Is there something wrong, Master Windu?"

Mace looked down at his hands clasped before him. "We have heard about the midichlorian count of the child," he said. "Healer Barriss also informed us that you have asserted that there has been no, ahem, cause for a child?" Was Mace blushing, Obi-Wan thought.

Straightening her spine, Obi-Wan tried not to be uncharitable to the Koran Master since it was only his duty to ascertain the facts of the situation. "That is correct, Master. I have no explanation why the child would seem to carry a certain paternity." Damn it, she thought, I wanted to talk to Anakin about this first.

Shaak Ti spoke up, "Please, Master Obi-Wan, do not think that we are accusing you of anything untoward. We know that your-connection-to your Padawan is strong, but we are not unhappy with your service as his Master. We all know what a handful he can be." Shaak offered a small smile with this last comment.

Obi-Wan relaxed a little. Thank goodness they had brought Shaak with them. Obi-Wan knew from experience that the other two Masters might not mean to insinuate that she had an improper relationship with her Padawan, but they would forget to say so out loud.

As her mouth tried not to twist into a rueful smile, Obi-Wan wished for the millionth time that the Temple taught a course on interpersonal communication and required every Jedi Padawan to practice it. Lack of communication had been a serious problem at one point between herself and Anakin. His adolescence had been turbulent, but once they learned a level of trust, their relationship had smoothed considerably. She learned to let Anakin know every once in a while that she too felt the weakness of emotions. And he, in turn, had worried less about his own, preferring to air them and then release them. She had talked him down from many an emotional precipice. Who knows where he would be, who he would be now, if she hadn't.

And speaking of Anakin, he at that moment appeared in the doorway. He had finished his classes and waited for her to return to their quarters but had become impatient and had sought her out instead. "Master?" he began but was brought up short by the presence of the Council members. "Masters," amended and bowed to the other three.

"Ah, young Skywalker, talk with your Master you should," Yoda had a very strange gleam in his eyes, Anakin noted. And when the little green GrandMaster walked past him, he would have sworn he heard a giggle. Anakin frowned in confusion.

Master Windu took his usual brusque approach to Anakin's appearance. But all he said was, "Skywalker" as he exited behind Yoda. Master Ti simply nodded to him on her way. Anakin watched the door slide closed behind them, mystified. Then his gaze swung back to Obi-Wan who was still sitting on the meditation pad, but now she was staring at her clasped hands.

Anakin took a seat on a facing pad and waited for his Master to begin the conversation. He could feel the waves of anxiety radiating off of her. Obi-Wan? Anxious?

"There is much we need to speak of, Padawan," she began. Best to get this over with, she thought. "I have been to the Healer's ward. There is no illness. I will be well with time and modified diet." You're stalling, she chided herself. She sighed and looked Anakin in the eye. "Anakin, I'm pregnant."

She waited to see how the news hit him. He looked less surprised that she had imagined. Barriss, she thought. But now for the really hard part. "There's more you should know because it involves you."

"Me?" Anakin recoiled physically from her comment. "Do you mean that you are going to assign me to another Master?" Always thinking about yourself, Padawan, she mused.

"No, that's not how this concerns you. The child's midichlorian count is high, very high. It is second only to yours, Anakin. Therefore, Barriss has concluded that you are the father of this child." Let's see if you react to this news.

Anakin tried to figure out if his Master was making a joke in poor taste. She had been known on occasion to try to make something funny out of a situation that just was not. He scrutinized her face closely. She was not kidding this time.

Anakin stood up slowly. He turned to the large windows overlooking the city. He walked deliberately to the window. He stopped and planted his feet apart. His hands clasped behind his back, he looked for all the world like a Commander on the bridge of his ship, surveying space ahead. Obi-Wan tried to gauge this reaction, but his shielding was too strong, for once.

Anakin's eyes were closed so that he could see the light from the setting sun, but it didn't penetrate his corneas. It was warm and familiar, much unlike the situation before him. That was chilling and decidedly unfamiliar. It was terrifying if he was honest with himself. How did this happen? When? And why is it happening . . . to me? Haven't I enough to shoulder with the Trials and the blasted Chosen One mantle? Kriff.

Obi-Wan had had enough. She knew Anakin; he was wallowing. Wallowing in self-pity. "Padawan," she called. "It is time for dinner. Let us retire to our quarters." She was wondering if she was going to have to snap her fingers or tap him on the shoulder with the Force to get his attention when he abruptly turned and faced her. And then he broke a little.

Turning back to the room reminded Anakin that the three other Masters were here when he arrived. And they had been talking to Obi-Wan. Here. Not in the Council Chambers. And they had brought Shaak Ti with them-when usually Yoda and Mace were a two-man act. His eyes widened in realization. They knew. They knew everything. Before he did.

He looked at Obi-Wan and crossed his arms over his chest and planted his feet again. "Why wasn't I the first one to be told about this?" he asked quietly, keeping a loose lid on the rage bubbling up within him. "Shouldn't I have had the right?" He sneered on the last word. He felt betrayed.

Obi-Wan did not cringe in the face of this anger she had seen many times before, and many times directed at her. She crossed her own arms and planted her own feet in the same manner, facing him. "I wanted to tell you myself. Barriss informed the Council. I did not know that they would seek me out before a formal meeting could be called. I had planned to talk with you, in private, this evening and then report to the Council tomorrow. I cannot control the actions of other Jedi, only my own."

She hoped that by not apologizing to him he could better see that these events had been more or less out of her hands. He had duties to perform during the day the same as all of them did. She would not distract him from them for her own comfort or relief. She sought out the comfort of the Force to steady herself before turning to his surprise and attendant emotional outburst. She knew she would have to have control over herself first.

"We could have had privacy in our quarters at any time!" Anakin shouted. He would not be placated by her conciliatory speeches . And he would not allow her to put the Order or the Council before him in this matter. This was too personal to lay open to the rest of them until they had had time to understand the situation. It was just none of their Sith-damned business!

Obi-Wan let out a sigh and sat back down where she had been. She kept her eyes on Anakin's as the air around them started to crackle with anger. "Anakin, do not make this harder than it is. You were the first one I wanted to talk to about this, of course. But sometimes the best laid plans go awry. Do not punish me for their actions and decisions. I needed time to myself. This is happening to me as well, you must concede." She appealed to his protective streak which should come in handy for her once in a while, she reasoned.

All the wind went right out of Anakin's sails. His head slumped forward, and he buried his face in his hands. She was right. Of course. Again. He arranged his face to hide any emotions at all, lifted his head, and gestured for her to lead the way out of the room and to their quarters. He fell in behind her as an obedient Padawan.

 

 

 

Chapter 6

As soon as the door to their quarters slid shut, their tension filled the whole room. Anakin started pacing, his anxiety returning because of their privacy.

"Anakin, you're going to wear a path in the carpet," Obi-Wan chided gently.

"How? I just don't understand how this happened!" Anakin threw his arms over his head in exasperation.

"I have been thinking about that. As well as when this happened. Barriss gave me an approximate date of conception based on the size of the embryo. Do you remember the sparring session we had where the Force vibrated around us when you took me down to the mat?"

"Yes," Anakin answered cautiously. He stopped pacing to look squarely at Obi-Wan.

"Well, I think that the Force that passed through me was enough to 'get things started,' so to speak," Obi-Wan told him with a wry smile. "And during my meditation today, I felt that the Force was reassuring me that this was my path. It's very surprising, and more than a little invasive to my person."

Anakin squeezed his eyes shut. "Star's end. That is just-" he thrashed around for the right word. "Unacceptable!" The word he ultimately chose sounded a lot more like one Obi-Wan would have said. She had expected 'outrageous,' 'ridiculous,' 'impossible,' 'unfair' even, and certainly accompanied with some sort of swear that would prompt her to respond. But unacceptable? She tried to stifle a giggle.

Anakin shot her a look and she said, "You've been hanging out with me too long, I'm afraid. Unacceptable, Anakin?" To his credit, Anakin did manage to see the humor in the response.

"Ok, ok," he said, moving to sit with her on the couch. He sat forward with his hands clenched together and leaning on his legs. "So we have a good idea of how and when, but why? Why would the Force will us to have a child?"

"I don't know that. We might never know. But let me ask you something. What do you know about your own paternity, Anakin?" Obi-Wan asked.

Anakin shrugged. "I didn't have a father. Mom always said I was her miracle. I never thought to ask more, and then . . ." he trailed off, a small frown creasing his brow as he became lost in memories.

Obi-Wan reached out and placed a warm hand on Anakin's shoulder. He looked up at her, startled out of his trance. "And then, it was too late," he finished in a quiet voice.

"I know," Obi-Wan said just as quietly. "Perhaps there is a connection between your conception and this one. Was your mother Force-sensitive?" Obi-Wan wondered why they had never had this conversation before.

Perhaps the teachings of the Temple had clouded her judgment in never speaking of his mother to him. Anakin wasn't like other younglings or Padawan. He remembered his mother. He had a bond with her. It was important that she understand Anakin's view of his biological mother, just as she had always tried to keep other communication open and flowing between them.

Anakin frowned slightly. "If she was, she never let on to me. I would talk to her all the time about how I could see things happening before they happened. I think she would have trusted me to tell me if she had the same abilities." The sadness on his face when speaking of his mother tore at Obi-Wan's heart.

They sat in companionable silence for a few minutes, each in their own morass of thought. Anakin broke the silence.

"What are you going to do?" he asked earnestly.

Obi-Wan lifted her eyes, searching for his mood in the bright blue eyes that were an open viewport to his heart. Tilting her head to the side just slightly, she asked, "Don't you mean, what are we going to do?"

Anakin's expression conceded her point. "I guess so. I don't know what to think. I feel too young to be a father. It's so unexpected," he said. He ran a hand through his hair and leaned back against the couch cushions, slouching enough to rest his head.

Obi-Wan considered. "Yes, unexpected. Just as unexpected as finding a strongly Force-sensitive child of ten on a desert planet in the Mid-Rim? Just as unexpected as becoming a Master of a new Padawan at the same time as becoming a Knight? It is unexpected, but it is not necessarily a burden or a hardship." She kept up her scrutiny on him as she saw her words take the desired effect. He relaxed. His breathing eased. He smiled.

Turning his head toward his Master, he reached out for her hand. "I guess we have to trust in the Force, huh?" He smiled ruefully, "It has worked out for us in the past."

Obi-Wan chuckled. "Indeed," she agreed, still holding lightly onto her Padawan's hand. She squeezed and said, "I'm going to need your help to get through my pregnancy. Daddy." She added the last part with a mischievous smile.

"Well, Mommy," he rejoined, narrowing his eyes at her in a mocking glare. "It's a good thing I live close then." He sobered, "And then what?"

Obi-Wan's smile faded slowly. She placed her free hand on her abdomen. "I don't know. It's not unheard of for a Jedi to have a child, but there are no Jedi families—that we know of." She frowned now. "Maybe it's the hormones, but I don't know if I can contemplate giving her up, unless it was for the Temple."

Anakin shot up from his slump. "Her?" he asked. Obi-Wan nodded. The biggest smile in Anakin's arsenal spread across his face. A little girl. He was going to have a little girl. With his Master's beautiful hair and his blue eyes. He could almost hear her voice shouting 'Daddy!' as he crouched down to sweep her up into his arms, giggling and smiling. "Wow," he breathed. "Suddenly, this doesn't seem too bad at all."

Obi-Wan laughed at his complete reversal of attitude. They would get through this trial as they had every other. Together.

When Anakin and Obi-Wan stood before the Jedi Council the next day, they could feel the strong mix of emotions in the room. Yoda's face still held the goofy grin he had had the day before. It almost sent shivers down Anakin's spine. That just isn't right, he thought.

Master Windu spoke for the group, as usual. "The Council has discussed the situation. Since it seems to be the Will of the Force that this child be brought into the world, we are in no position to argue. No one will interfere with the natural progression of growth. And we are prepared to help you in any way that you need, Obi-Wan."

Obi-Wan bowed slightly in acceptance of their kind offer. She was glad to know that at least the question of her status as a Jedi Knight wasn't going to be a complication of this pregnancy. She was aware that eventually she would have to cut down on her physical training if only out of necessity. She didn't know how she would wield her lightsaber around her round stomach.

But, really, she didn't think that she would have to excuse herself from any other diplomatic duties. As long as she had Anakin with her, she had everything she had ever needed to be safe. That much she was absolutely certain of.

Anakin stood forward slightly to address the Council. "Masters, what will happen after the child is born?" He was worried. He could already feel himself becoming attached to the mass of cells taking form in Obi-Wan's body.

"Mmmm, time we have to decide that, Padawan Skywalker," Yoda responded, effectively ending any discussion about the topic. Anakin wasn't very mollified by the answer he got.

A new voice finally spoke when Ki-Adi cleared his throat. "Felicitations to you, Master Kenobi and Padawan Skywalker. Knowing how it is to be expecting offspring, I offer my congratulations." He made a slight bow from his chair to the two standing in the middle of the chamber. And then several other voices could be heard seconding the sentiment. Obi-Wan was overwhelmed by the support. She wasn't used to emotional outpouring from the Council. So this is what babies do to even the most stoic of Jedi, she thought.

They were dismissed from the Council Chambers before the Council members discussed other, less personal, matters.

As Obi-Wan and Anakin walked slowly, each deep in their own thoughts, they found themselves drifting closer toward each other than usual. Anakin had abandoned his usual place a half-step behind his Master, whether consciously or not, neither of them knew. When the sleeve of his cloak brushed against hers, she reached out and took his hand, and they walked hand-in-hand back to their quarters for Obi-Wan's mid-morning nap.

 

 

Chapter 7

As she approached the hangar, Obi-Wan felt herself hesitate. She knew that Anakin was going to be angry. And there was nothing she could do at this point. The Council had asked her to perform this one duty off-world, by herself, as her last off-world assignment until after the birth. She had agreed; how could she not agree to do her duty? The people of this planet needed her negotiating skills.

Anakin was fully encased in the innards of some ship or another when she finally found him. If not for his blazing Force signature, she might have missed just his boots protruding from the dented fuselage. She stood and watched him twitch as he worked, apparently having trouble with something from the sounds and words emanating from inside the durasteel. She smothered a smile.

"Anakin," she called, loud enough for him to hear her.

A resounding clang followed by a resonating "Ow!" was his response. Then he was wriggling out of the ship, his clothing and skin filthy from oil and other lubricants. He emerged rubbing his forehead. "Stupid things should be designed bigger. We should tell the engineers on Allanteen VI that they need to make them big enough for human mechanics."

"Well," Obi-Wan observed. "I'm not sure that they envisioned anyone would want to get in there beside them. Your hands-on approach to your ship is somewhat . . . unique."

Anakin grabbed a shop towel and began degreasing his hands. "And by unique, do you mean advantageous? My modifications have saved us more than once, Master." His self-assured smile forced her to smile back.

Now or never. "Anakin, I have a mission from the Council," she started.

"When do we leave?" he asked.

"We don't. I am leaving in the morning," she said and braced herself for the onslaught.

But Anakin didn't throw a fit. He didn't clench his fists. He didn't even purse his lips which was something that he had practiced since the moment she met him. He did slow down his hand cleaning concentrating hard on the last bits of gunk. He seemed to be in thought.

"What kind of mission?" he asked, his tone unreadable.

"Diplomatic. The Mirrin are ready to allow the spice trade onto their planet. But they want to ensure that it won't affect their ecosystem any more than is necessary. The leadership has asked a Jedi to oversee and mediate the negotiations. I'll probably be gone a week or less." Obi-Wan gave him the bare details.

"Mmmm," Anakin hummed. "Okay, well, be careful and may the Force be with you."

Obi-Wan gaped a little. "That's it?" she asked.

"What's it?" Anakin countered.

"You're not going to complain or throw something or say it isn't fair to split us up?" she reminded him of his usual reaction to such a situation.

Anakin considered. "No, I think some time apart might be good for us." He kept his eyes averted as he said this. He needed a little breathing room for a couple days. The past three weeks had been intense, to say the least. Finding out about the pregnancy, his 'potency' within the Force, facing the council, deciding on baby names . . . it was all a little much for a twenty-one year old to absorb. And it was only going to intensify as the due date got closer.

I am happy, Anakin told himself. How could I not be? But happy and scared shitless sometimes go hand-in-hand where offspring were concerned. Even though he was of legal age, his status as a Padawan still made him a juvenile in the eyes of most of the Temple. A learner. Someone untested and less responsible for himself than a Knight is. This is proving to be a pretty big trial of the spirit, he thought and shook his head. Then, he realized that Obi-Wan was still standing in front of him.

"Really, Master, I'm fine. Please take care of yourself, is all." He gave her a wan smile and turned back to the ship.

"Ok," she said softly. "See you for dinner?"

"Yes, I'll be back by then," he replied as he continued to wipe his hands absentmindedly. He was already kilometers away in his mind. She left him to his machines.

As Anakin climbed back into the small body of the ship, he reflected that maybe it would be good for him to see what life would be like when he became a Knight and had to go on his own solo missions as well as she. Maybe he should seek out other companionship. He almost never did that. When she was off-world before, he would have his classes and his meals with the other Padawan. But then he would just hole up in their quarters until she returned.

Tightening the bolt he had loosened just before Obi-Wan interrupted him, he decided that he would do just that. He was going to find some fun, some entertainment. Maybe even go out of the Temple or something. Why not? He was an adult. And with his Master gone, he was his own man. More oil dripped into his hair and splattered next to his eye. Wiping it with the back of his hand, he thought, I'll need to shower first though.

The next day, Anakin saw his Master off on her mission. Their amiable parting was comforting for both of them. Anakin hadn't told his Master his plans, but she sensed that he was happy. Why he was happy, she didn't question in the least.

Anakin used his comm to contact his friend Tru Veld and arrange meeting up for lunch. As it happened, Tru already had lunch plans with Ferus Olin and Darra Thel-Tanis, with whom Anakin had worked in the past on Radnor. Free of all of their Masters this time, he thought he was actually looking forward to seeing all three of the fellow Padawan.

They met in the South Commissary at half past noon. Selecting a booth large enough for the four of them but solitary enough to ensure some space for gossiping, the four sat down with their food. Starving as he always was, Anakin dove right into his food and listened to the others. They obviously met for meals like this often. He almost felt out-of-place until Ferus included him in the conversation, unfortunately.

"So, Anakin, I hear that you've got some deadly accurate midichlorians there," Ferus said with a lascivious wink. The news of Master Kenobi's 'condition' had spread around the Temple faster than a Force sprint. The reaction was mixed between awe, disgust, indifference, and curiosity. Ferus fell squarely between disgust and curiosity.

Looking up at Ferus with a mouthful, Anakin scowled. After hastily swallowing the large bite, he retorted, "You're just jealous, Olin. You'll never be able to perfect that Jedi technique." Tru laughed, and Darra giggled.

She elbowed Ferus in the arm. "He's right," she agreed. "You'd never be able to decide if it was within the Code or not." She giggled again at her own joke as Tru and Anakin joined in with their more raucous sounds.

It was Ferus' turn to scowl. "Whatever. I'm pretty sure that knocking up your Master isn't. Whether you did it the 'traditional' way or not. And by the way, how do we know it wasn't the traditional way, huh?" He leered at Darra, and she leaned back to keep him at arm's length.

"Watch it, Olin," Tru warned. He could feel Anakin's anger ratcheting up by the second. "No one is doubting Master Kenobi's word." His gaze flickered to Anakin's face as he spoke and saw the desired unwinding effect taking hold. "Besides, we're here to enjoy ourselves, remember? So no more snarking between you two."

Darra joined in too. "Yeah, keep it up Ferus, and Tru and I won't take you out with us tonight," she said.

Anakin's ears perked up at that statement. "Where are you guys going?" he asked.

Tru and Darra shared a smile, and then Tru said conspiratorially, "The Outlander on the Lower Levels."

Ferus looked almost apoplectic. "You can't go there!" he spat out. "It's not-" he fished around for the right word, "Seemly!"

Now the other three really laughed. "Kriffing Force, Olin!" Tru said between gasps for air once he could control his laughter again. "You sound like you're eight hundred years old. There's no rule against a few drinks and some dancing with friends."

"That's right," Darra agreed. She snuck a quick look at Anakin. His braid was longer than the last time she saw it. And she thought that he looked broader in the chest. But those eyes would never change. Piercing and seductive all at the same time. "You up for some fun tonight, Anakin?" She didn't hold out much hope that he would come with them. He never did. But then he never had lunch with them, or even in the commissary for that matter.

Anakin looked at Darra and then at Tru. "Sure, if you don't mind. I was looking for something to do." He tried to keep it casual to cover the fact that he had nothing to do for the evening.

Ferus scowled, but didn't say anything else. The lunch continued in relative peace as soon as they started gossiping about the newest class of Padawan and their relative skills or lack thereof. Anakin was glad to have some people he knew to hang out with, even if Olin was one of them. He would be able to ignore his judgmental glare in a club with pounding music and flashing lights, wouldn't he?

 

 

Chapter 8

The Outlander was in full swing by the time the quartet hit the door. Tru and Ferus immediately made their way to the bar for drinks. Anakin scanned the crowd appreciating the mix of humans and aliens. Lots of distraction from one pregnant Master here. He adjusted his shirt across his shoulders once more. It was getting a little snug, but he didn't have much choice in the way of civilian attire. Darra had assured him, a little strongly, that it looked 'fine.' What she had actually said was 'damn fine,' which was basically the same, right?

She turned to him and said, "Let's dance!" He allowed her to pull him into the center of the crowd. He was oblivious to the stares of his fellow dancers, but she wasn't. She knew that she was currently dancing with the hottest guy in the whole place. Everyone wanted to be her. And she wasn't going to let anyone else get a piece of her action tonight. She had waited a long time for a chance like this.

Ferus and Tru met them with drinks, and they all threw back the shots. "Next round is on you, Skywalker," Ferus shouted over the ear-splitting music. Anakin nodded, not giving Ferus the satisfaction of rattling him over something so trivial. However, the growing ranks of people circling them on the floor was not trivial. Tru, Ferus, and Darra were being jostled from all sides by dancers who wanted to get closer to Anakin. Darra finally had to catch onto his hand to get the Togruta female that was pestering her to move just a little further that way to stop. Anakin twirled Darra with their hands over her head. Ha, she thought, take that!

Anakin was just starting to have fun. When the song ended, he made his way to the bar for the next round. As he leaned up on the rail, he suddenly felt a hand on his backside. He turned quickly to find the Togruta from the dance floor had followed him.

"Hello," she purred. "Haven't seen you in here before." She fingered her lekku and batted her long eyelashes at him. "What's your name, honey?"

"Oh, ah, hey, I'm Anakin," he stammered a reply. She was awfully forward, grabbing him like that. He didn't know what to think about it. "Yeah, I haven't been here before. I came with some friends." Totally lame, he thought.

"Well, would you like to leave with a new friend?" she asked him as she brushed her breasts up against him and smiled slowly.

Anakin was preparing a sharp retort when Darra appeared out of nowhere. "Back off, sweetie," she said as she placed one forefinger on the Togruta's shoulder. "He's with me." Darra settled onto the barstool next to Anakin and wrapped a possessive arm around his waist. Anakin was really amused now. What the Sith hell was happening?

"No need to get pushy. Just making new friends," the Togruta said as she turned and strutted away into the crowd.

Anakin looked from the Togruta's vanishing back to Darra sitting next to him and still touching him. "What just happened?" he asked her. She giggled and his anger started to rise.

"Oh, Anakin, you have no idea how cute you are, do you?" she asked him with slight exasperation. "She was hitting on you! Haven't you ever been hit on before?"

Anakin frowned a little. He didn't want to admit that he had little experience in clubs of this sort. He had attended any number of social functions attached to missions, but they were a lot more controlled than the current environment. Not that he hadn't had to put off some rather pushy diplomats in his time, but stang! This was a different caliber altogether.

He laughed it off, "Oh, I know that! I meant, what are you doing?" Now it was Darra's turn to be a little embarrassed. She resentfully pushed at him with both hands.

"Hey, next time, I'll just let her have you then. Far be it for me to help you out," she pouted and crossed her arms. His drink order arrived, and she threw back the nearest shot to cover her discomfort. "I'm going back out there," she said and jumped down off of the stool to wade back onto the dance floor.

Anakin followed her with the three remaining shots in his hands above his head, trying to avoid spilling them. By the time he got back to the other three, he saw Tru and Feris both had new dance partners. Darra looked a little lost. Anakin felt a little bad for how he had spoken to her. After he off-loaded the other two shots and drank his own, he joined her. Her face lit up as he started to rub up against her in the manner he had observed other dancers adopting.

They spent the next two songs dancing and laughing, twirling and swaying. When the next song turned out to be a ballad, Darra grabbed onto Anakin's waist before he could escape. She laid her cheek against his chest. His arms rested loosely on her upper arms. He was a little off-put again by her proximity. Plus, he was pretty sure that he was starting to smell from the sweat beading up everywhere on his overheated body.

She stirred against him, and he looked down into her eyes. They were a little glassy. She was apparently as unused to drink as he was-the difference being his size compared to hers. He gave her a wan smile; she gave him a fully inebriated one in return. Anakin started to look for Tru to ask what he should do with a drunk Darra. She started to sway heavily in his arms as he turned around in a circle. Where was Tru? Darra's laugh was sounding more shrill and desperate now. Anakin looked back down at her, perplexed at her behavior.

But he wasn't to be enlightened any time soon as she reached up and pulled him down in a sloppy kiss. Anakin was surprised. He had never imagined Darra acting like this. Was it the alcohol? Or was it something else? As gently as he could, he peeled her arms from around his neck and separated their lips. He held onto her hands and looked into her face.

"Darra?" he asked, the discomfort of what she had done written all over his face.

"Oh, Force," she replied, shame suffusing her face. "I'm sorry, Anakin."

"No, I'm sorry," he said to her. "I didn't know . . ."

She shook her head violently and cut him off, "No, no, there's no reason you would. I'm going to go to the 'fresher. Please let me go, Anakin" She was pleading with him.

He released her immediately, and she fled from him. He stood still amid the swirling motion of life around him. Then he hung his head and clenched his fists, feeling his anger building and yet trying to hold onto it as his Master wished. Vape it! What had happened? This night out on his own was becoming a rousing disaster. And he just couldn't figure out why. Was it something he said or did? When he was with his Master, she never acted the way Darra had.

The thought of his Master, so far away, suddenly made him feel even more at loose ends. What was he doing here? He was going to be a father. He was going to be a Jedi. And he definitely was not interested in kissing Darra. She was his friend. If he was going to kiss anyone, it was going to be . . .

Anakin brought his thoughts up short. That way lies no salvation. Kiss Obi-Wan? His Master? No, he wouldn't contemplate such an act. He didn't need Olin to tell him how far outside the Code that would be. Obi-Wan would never be a party to such a thing either. Would she? No! he scolded himself, scowling more deeply.

His eyes finally landed on Tru and his new lady friend. Sidling up to Tru, Anakin pulled him apart from the girl. "Darra went to the 'fresher. Can you go check on her? I'm heading back to the Temple. I'm not feeling well." It wasn't entirely a lie. He felt pretty crappy in a lot of ways.

"Ok, Anakin, no problem. She gets like this a lot. Drinks, ends up in the 'fresher, crying, for hours. She'll be all right once the alcohol works through her system a little." Tru gave him a sympathetic smile. Anakin wondered if he had seen Darra kiss him.

"Okay. Thanks, man. I'll talk to you," Anakin said noncommittally. He was suddenly fixated on what he didn't want to fixate on: Obi-Wan and her lips. Her soft lips. And her creamy skin. And how her hair would work loose from the twist on the back of her head and just brush against her cheeks before she tucked it behind her ear.

Stang, he thought. Where is all of this coming from? But his foremost thought was to get home to his own bedroom. He felt overwhelmingly tired.

By the time Anakin arrived back at his quarters, his sweatiness was starting to really bother him. Guess I'll hit the 'fresher before bed then, he decided. But when he walked into the room, he was arrested by the image presented to him by the mirror. He searched his face to figure out what had happened this evening. The women at the bar, Darra . . . was he attractive? He had never really thought about it. He spent so little time looking at himself and so much time looking at . . . Obi-Wan. Now she was beautiful.

At that thought, Anakin felt something spike inside of him. A trill of nerves shot from his stomach down into his groin. Was that the booze, he wondered. He shook his head to clear it, undressed and climbed under the hot water. Wash it all away, Skywalker. Tomorrow's a new day.

But he was surprised to find that his cock had no intention of letting anything go for that long. Half-hard already, the hot water splashing on his skin just heightened the sensations already coursing through him. He closed his eyes and tried not to picture what his subconscious had been serving up all night. Obi-Wan. He missed her. That was nothing new. She was his closest friend. But this arousal was almost completely foreign to him.

Not foreign entirely. There had been fumblings with some girls. Not Darra, but other girls. Darra was more like one of the guys in their group. Anakin had never seen her as more than a buddy. She had obviously been thinking otherwise. The thought of his rejection of her went a little way toward dampening his ardor. He would talk to her about it. Smooth it over-somehow. Since there was no way to fix it right now, he decided to return to more, pleasurable, thoughts.

He ran his soapy hands down his torso and imagined what it would feel like if they were someone else's hands. All smooth and slippery across his skin. And as his hands approached his lower abdomen, he bumped into the head of his now fully-engorged member. Well, he thought, I guess that settles that argument. Wrapping his hands around himself, he began a languorous pace up and down the shaft. He could take his time since no one would be interrupting him tonight.

Bracing himself against the wall of the 'fresher with the other hands, he let his head fall forward under the spray of water. His legs spread out to brace himself. It was always tricky losing control and trying not to fall in the slippery shower stall. A low moan escaped him as he began to explore these new feelings about his Master. What would it feel like to have her kiss him? To feel the skin of her body pressed against his? In his fantasy, it felt very arousing, but he knew that the real thing might be different. He had known her for eleven years. She had raised him, for Force's sake. And although he had never seen her as his mother-he had had a mother he remembered-she hadn't been an object of sexual fantasy before either.

Despite these misgivings, Anakin was still aroused enough to bring himself to completion, groaning into the water. He quickly washed himself again and stepped out of the stall. Toweling himself off roughly, he walked to his bedroom, pulled on a pair of sleep pants, and stretched out on his bed. He laid that way for a while, looking at the bare ceiling with his eyes but not really seeing it. He was replaying countless memories of himself and his Master. Training, arguing, laughing, eating, surviving. All of the intense emotions; all of the flashes of passion. There was definitely enough of that to spare between the two of them.

But sexual passion? He wasn't sure. Would Obi-Wan ever entertain such a notion, child or not? Did he want to entertain it as more than a nice image after a night of drinking and rubbing against sweaty, sexually-charged strangers? He wasn't sure. He was tired. He rolled over and let sleep take him.

 

 

Chapter 9

When Obi-Wan returned from her mission, she looked even more tired than she had at the Temple. The negotiations had really drained her since they had taken all of a week and a half to complete.

Anakin met her in the hangar ba, and was immediately concerned about her appearance. "Master, you look overtired," he understated.

"Yes, I feel it. I was not able to rest adequately while away. I feel as if I could sleep for a week," she agreed. Anakin took everything she was carrying from her hands and offered her his arm for support. She accepted gratefully, and they made their way slowly to their quarters and her own bed.

For the next week, Anakin did his best to banish the thoughts about his Master-traitorous thoughts that were threatening to drive a wedge between them. He had to hold himself apart from her more than he used to. He didn't like this development.

One evening, they were sitting quietly in their own thoughts, datapads in their hands, when Obi-Wan mentioned to him off-handedly, "I saw Darra today. She seemed unhappy to see me. I wonder why."

"I don't know, Master. I saw her a couple times while you were gone on your last mission. I decided to socialize a little in your absence. Four of us had lunch, went out to a club for drinks and some dancing. It was going great until Darra tried to kiss me." He stopped and looked at Obi-Wan for her reaction. It was all sympathy. But whether that sympathy was for him or for Darra, he wasn't quite sure.

"And?" she prompted.

"And, nothing really. She was drunk. Tru said she gets like that when she drinks, running to the 'fresher to cry or something. She was fine the next time I saw her. Didn't even mention it." Anakin finished.

"Oh, Anakin. Of course she didn't! She was completely embarrassed by your rejection," his Master looked disappointed in him for not knowing what had happened. Sympathy for Darra then. "And that explains why she was displeased to see me. She was still embarrassed."

"She was?" Anakin asked cluelessly. "How do you know?"

Obi-Wan snorted. "I know what rejection looks and feels like," she answered somewhat enigmatically. "But how could you not know? Darra has been mooning over you for years. That last mission we went on with her and her Master was almost sabotaged by her insistence on being by your side the whole time. She didn't want to complete her own tasks lest she be separated from you."

Obi-Wan didn't judge Darra too harshly. Anakin was damn attractive with his attitude of not caring about his attractiveness. Add to that the charm that sometimes found its way to the surface with his humor, and she was sure countless other Padawan had entertained crushes on the Chosen One over the years.

"Oh, Anakin, how can you be so clueless about women? Have I taught you nothing all these years?" she asked him with an amused smile.

Anakin blushed a little with frustration. "Well, you didn't teach me how to react to a kiss," he replied quietly. Now, Obi-Wan did laugh, loudly.

Between gasps for air she responded, "No, I guess that's not in the standard guidelines for training Padawan, given the 'no attachment' precept and all." She kept chuckling to herself.

Anakin was even more miffed by the laughing. He didn't want to feel a fool. "So, why don't you teach me then?" he challenged, his eyes narrowed.

Her laughing ceased abruptly. She looked at him archly. "What do you want to know?" she asked, frowning slightly.

He blushed a little more deeply, and mumbled, "I dunno." He felt silly. A twenty-one year old asking his Master about kissing. How absurd. He stood, "Nevermind, Master. I'll make things right with Darra later. Don't worry."

He left before she could object.

Obi-Wan was unsettled by her conversation with Anakin. And it wasn't because of his anger or the way he ended things. She was upset about the incident with Darra. She didn't like thinking of anyone kissing Anakin-which was strange since she had known for a while that Darra had this crush on him.

Why do I care about this now? she questioned herself. What is the feeling? Am I angry? Disappointed? No, she thought, that's not quite it. And then she realized what the problem truly was. Obi-Wan Kenobi was jealous.

She was jealous of Anakin going out with his friends for some casual fun. She was jealous of him dancing with another woman. And she was definitely jealous about Darra getting to kiss Anakin, although she had to admit that the result of him pushing her away was sickly satisfying. He wasn't interested in Darra.

But did Obi-Wan have any right to feel these possessive feelings for her Padawan? What good could possibly come from them? As her betraying body sent shivers up and down her spine, she knew what good could come from having a partner she trusted and needed as much as she did Anakin. She knew she could experience warm nights and lazy mornings. She could have intimacy on so many levels. She could know love. If only . . .

If only Anakin was interested too. And she wasn't sure that he was. He seemed supremely indifferent to Darra. Perhaps he didn't want any type of personal relationship to interfere with his training, especially one so complicated as with his own Master. Maybe Anakin isn't interested in women at all, she reasoned. It's possible.

For the next week, they circled each other in a kind of dance designed to keep apart but still close enough to appear to be partners. Anakin quietly observed his Master. He examined his own feelings about her constantly. And Obi-Wan did the same with her emotions. She filled his dreams and his daydreams. He dominated her thoughts. What was it about her that had changed, besides the obvious? Or was he the one who changed? It seemed to him to be mutual. She noticed changes as well.

She looked at him differently, softly. They brushed against each other more often. He touched her more to massage away the strain of the pregnancy in her shoulders. She left her hair down more often when they were alone in their quarters. But neither of them was sure that these things added up to more than they appeared.

This dance continued for the next few weeks until the changes in Obi-Wan's body signaled the beginning of her second trimester. Her discomfort diminished significantly. Her energy rose, and Anakin even had trouble keeping up with her. She ran circles around him, cleaning, organizing, and attending to her duties as a Knight and his Master. She felt amazing, empowered by the life inside her and the Force flowing through her. There was just one thing that she was struggling to control.

Obi-Wan Kenobi was suddenly, and for the first time in many, many years, so . . . horny. She walked around in a state of constant arousal. And the worst part was that it seemed that the space between her and Anakin was thrumming now not just with emotional tension but also with sexual tension. She tried desperately to sort out her needs and desires from her thoughts. It proved to be a monumental task.

She became torn between her body's needs and her sense of Jedi propriety and decorum. Was she prepared to change their relationship forever? But then no relationship ever really stays the same. Certainly, her relationship with Anakin had evolved over the years from when he was a wide-eyed child new to Coruscant to a brooding teenager full of swirling emotions to their near equal status now.

And ever since the discovery of her pregnancy, Anakin had acquitted himself much more like a Knight than a Padawan. He had taken the lead on missions when she had needed. He had even read mission briefs and filed mission reports. She was amazed at how he had matured in the past three months. He had even approached Darra and shown great compassion in letting her down easily. They seemed to have moved on to a stronger friendship because of his initiative.

And he had had a much better handle on his anger and frustration. They had spent quite a few evenings venting their, albeit sporadic, feelings of helplessness about their situation. Obi-Wan was starting to resent the changes in her body that would forever change her. Anakin confided in her that he was terrified of being responsible for another living being. He felt unprepared for the weight.

Gradually, though, their conversations eased their fears and apprehensions. They were able to be grateful for the added connection that the Force was giving them through this joining experience of parenthood. They became determined to see it as a positive development. They would cherish life in all of its forms as a celebration of the Force and its wisdom.

One morning Anakin surprised her by preparing breakfast. He had gone to great lengths to procure some Aurroran eggs, her favorite, for an omelet. He even managed to cook it himself without burning it too badly. She was touched at his thoughtfulness. She knew that cooking was not one of his favorite activities. The eggs were delicious, and she thanked him profusely.

Walking into the kitchen with her dirty plate, she handed it to him at the sink. "That's a surprising new talent of yours," she said. "I could get used to having someone else cook around here." He looked up from the sink, his hands buried in the soapy water. His smile was sweet and crooked.

She couldn't resist brushing her hands through his short curls. Then, on impulse, she leaned in and kissed him lightly on the lips. He became instantly still. When she leaned back to look at him, his eyes lingered on hers with so many questions. They burned with his usual fire. And then he quickly wrapped an arm around her, pulled her to him, and kissed her far more urgently.

The sound of the comm broke off their kiss. No words passed between them. Obi-Wan left to answer the call. Anakin turned back to his dishes. He was finished and wiping his hands dry when she returned.

"The Council wants me to attend the meeting this morning. I'll see you this evening, Anakin," she said, her mouth caressing his name in a way he had never heard before.

He lowered his chin and looked up at her through lowered eyelashes. "Yes, Master," he replied. And then she was gone, not quickly, not with any embarrassment. Just gone in her usual manner of leaving their quarters to perform her duties.

Anakin was intrigued.

 

Chapter 10

Rating: E for explicit descriptions of heterosexual sex in this chapter

His intrigue lasted for a few more days as they continued to brush more closely together. As they caught each other's eyes in ways that were new and exciting. They began wearing more casual clothing in the evenings and sitting more closely, their body heat mingling. She would find an excuse to lean over him and brush her aroused breasts against him. He in turn would find a reason to come up behind her and reach over her shorter shoulders, very briefly making contact with her backside. And, most notably, she became very vocal during his massages, moaning more than was strictly necessary.

When their next tandem assignment came in from the Council, they were almost relieved to have something else to do and somewhere else to be. The planet of Helena needed some diplomatic assistance. And, after the toll the last mission took on Obi-Wan's strength, she deftly refused to be sent without Anakin to assist her. The Council agreed with no debate.

The negotiations were mostly formality this time. On their last night on the beautiful planet of Helena, they had only each other for company, their official duties having been completed in the morning. Obi-Wan sat in her chair on the balcony of her apartment enjoying the soft breeze and the soothing sound of the ocean waves lapping the shore. She closed her eyes and rested her hands across the gentle curve of her lower belly. The sun was starting to reach for the horizon, casting long shadows and strong heat.

She heard the door open behind her and welcomed his warm Force presence. He walked out onto the balcony and stood behind her, admiring her serenity. He was so proud of his Master and how she was handling herself during her pregnancy. She was so strong. He admired that strength.

His hand reached out for her shoulder, and she covered his hand with her own. She smiled. Whenever they touched, which was becoming more and more frequent lately, she felt electric pulses pass between their skin. It certainly did not help with her intense arousal, unless by 'help' one meant 'fanned the flames of.' She had caught herself daydreaming about Anakin's eyes and lips earlier when she should have been paying attention to the boring closing ceremony of their successful negotiations. She felt herself warm all over at the remembrance of that little fantasy.

"You're glowing again, Master," Anakin broke the stillness with a quiet observation. And she was. In fact, it had absolutely nothing to do with the golden sunlight currently washing over her. It had everything to do with her inner beauty and the well of life bubbling up within her. He pulled his hand out from under hers and moved it to her neck, massaging lightly. Her hum of approval was music in his ears. "Have you eaten?"

Always so concerned, Padawan, she thought. "Yes, I have. And I am actually full, for once. I believe this little one likes the food here. She craves it, but it satisfies her like none other has. I'll be sorry to leave for that fact alone." She looked out over the view again and realized that she'd miss a lot about this planet.

Anakin stopped his ministrations to her neck but didn't lose contact with her as he pulled out another chair and seated himself. They clasped hands in the fashion they had started to make a habit. Obi-Wan absently ran her thumb up the center of Anakin's palm. They stayed in this position until the sun had almost set. Then Anakin arose and tugged lightly on her arm. She stood up with her natural grace, her balance as yet unaffected by her addition.

He led her back into the apartment, turned, and locked the door to the balcony. His apartment was located just next door, but he would make sure she was secure before he left. When he turned back from the door, Obi-Wan stood half in shadow, facing him, but he couldn't see her face. He walked toward her, noticing how her Force signature trembled. His concern was written all over his own face. But he needn't have worried; she was not in any type of distress from which she suffered.

He reached up to envelope her in his arms, having shed his cloak on a chair inside the room earlier. But before he could pull her completely to his chest, she stopped him with her own hands on his chest. "Anakin," she said in a whisper that was neither question nor reprimand. And then she slid her hands up to his cheeks, pulling him down to her waiting lips.

She held him lightly, giving him every chance to back away, to make his own choice. When his arms continued around her, tightened, and he lifted her straight up off her feet, all while keeping his lips pressed to hers, she knew he had made his decision and had been waiting for her to ask. Always so protective, she thought. I could have chosen no better father for any child of mine.

Taking her breath away, one of Anakin's arms swooped down to collect her body fully from her dangling position and into his strong grip. He pulled away from her lips only to look into her eyes. "Obi-Wan," he whispered the same way she had said his name. Then he claimed her again, his tongue seeking entrance this time. She opened her lips to him willingly, eagerly. Her hands caressed his cheeks and ran through his curls as she felt herself lit on fire by his attentions.

He was walking to the bedroom. With a flick of his wrist, he used the Force to clear the covers from the bed. Then he set a knee on the soft sheets and slowly lowered her. She laid back so that her hair sprawled around her head in an auburn frame. She wriggled her hips, unable to help herself. She was engulfed by her need for him. It overrode all other thoughts. As he helped her out of her footwear, she ran her hands up and down her own torso in anticipation.

Anakin smiled at her actions. "Soon, love, soon," he assured her. She smiled back at him and continued her touching. When their boots were disposed of and lightsabers placed side-by-side on the bedside table, he loosened her belt, and she loosened his. Some distant part of her brain was amused by the fact that they basically wore the exact same clothing. The galaxy saw them as Jedi-male, female, human, non-human, it didn't matter. But underneath the uniform were two individuals, two breathing, beating, heaving people deeply enthralled by each other and the differences they were about to share.

Anakin divested himself of his tunics without further help. But hers were parted more slowly as he took his time discovering the treasures hidden underneath. He kneeled over her, not touching except with his hands. First, her collar bones. Then her sternum. Then the perfect globes of her breasts, enhanced by pregnancy. With her tunics half removed, her arms were buried in the enveloping fabric. Anakin took this opportunity to begin kissing these sensitive spots. He leaned down, careful to put none of his weight on her. Small pecks on her neck soon gave way to hot open-mouthed kisses that would almost certainly leave some marks. Obi-Wan arched her back to brush her nipples against his chest. The sensation evoked a deep groan from her throat.

She wanted to touch him with her hands too, but he kept her trapped in her own clothing to prolong the erotic torture. She settled herself back onto the bed, and he moved his lips to one nipple. Mindful of her complaints of sensitivity, he lapped lightly at the pink skin until it formed its small mound. Then he gently rolled the nipple between his lips, looking up to see her reaction. Her open mouth and labored gasping told him of her pleasure. He continued to the other side and repeated his actions, using his hands to massage the muscle underneath the tissue.

Trailing down her sternum again, he made his way with lips and tongue, and occasionally teeth, to her abdomen. He smoothed his hands over the curve there that spoke of his child. He rubbed his cheek on her skin and was overwhelmed by the perfection of this moment. He and Obi-Wan and the evidence of their connection. True, their connection had not been properly consummated-yet-but that was a minor oversight on the Force's part. He sent a word of thanks to the life-giving Force for its gifts.

Obi-Wan ran her hands through his hair to get his attention. "What are you thinking about down there?" she asked with a small grin. He smiled back and shook his head to try to gain some control. His shields must be slipping; she had heard him thinking about the three of them.

Placing his chin lightly on her abdomen, his legs dangling off the end of the bed, he sent a wave of pure contentment through their bond. "I was thinking, Master, of how many gifts the Force has given me." He kissed her skin quickly and slid up her body to rest on his side touching as much of her as possible. Her hand came up to run along the length of his arm as he held her close.

Anakin continued his musings. "If you had not become my Master, would I be where I am? Would I be who I am? I am as the Force has made me, but I am more than that too. I am as you have crafted me." He leaned down for a lingering kiss.

When they broke apart, she touched his face. "You are more than that even, Anakin. You are the most luminous being that has ever existed. I am drawn to you, to your life. And that only grows as our child grows. The Force has given me great gifts as well." Her thumb ghosted across his lips as he pursed them to kiss.

But Anakin wasn't done talking yet. "Do you remember the first time we spoke of weakness, Master?" Her nod encouraged him to continue. "I still struggle with the existence of weakness; I feel hatred toward myself for having any weakness. But your willingness to expose your own struggles has strengthened me in ways nothing else could. Not meditation, not attempts at self-discipline, nothing. That intimate view is my saving grace. My connection to you is as vital to me as my beating heart."

Obi-Wan was touched at this admission. She had followed her instincts with him in this matter. She had let him in to her self in a way she never had with anyone else, not even her own Master. It was quite possibly against the Code in the strictest sense, but then the Code was hard to apply to Anakin. Her beautiful, dangerous, powerful, emotional, mercurial Anakin. He was, as always, the exception to the rule.

"I have saved you no more than you have saved me, dear Anakin," she replied. He seemed satisfied that their conversation was complete. He leaned in to claim her lips again, and this time, she became the aggressor.

Pushing him onto his back, she threw a leg over him and settled across his hips. She shed her tunics and loosened the ties on her leggings. Then she loosened his ties. She felt his arousal at her actions ignite her passion even more. She crawled up his body, kissing and nuzzling and tasting his flesh.

She kissed up his neck to his chin which he had jutting out toward her, his head arched back in pleasure. When she brought her teeth lightly to his chin, he groaned. She then kissed in a line up his jaw to the soft spot behind his ear. In a low husky voice that she didn't know she possessed, she said, "I want to know all of you, Anakin. Please share yourself with me." She wriggled her hips and nudged his mind with hers. She wanted all of him-body and mind.

He turned to her and kissed her fiercely. Then he dropped his shields and let his emotions slam into her consciousness. She gasped against him as the enormity of it washed through her. It was no wonder he was able to impregnate her remotely, she thought idly. His strength of intent is so awesome. After a moment, she was able to revel in his passions. The lust, the need to protect her, his pleasure, and his love. It was all she had never imagined that she didn't have in her life. And now she never wanted to be without it.

He crushed her to him with owning arms. Their skin sheened with sweat, they slid against one another effortlessly. Her leggings started to move down, and she helped them along, tossing them away. She lifted her hips from him and pulled his pants off as well. Now they were nearly one being. Her hand ghosted over his cock, and he breathed her name. Positioning him at her entrance, she looked deep into his eyes. She wasn't asking permission. She wasn't checking his readiness. She was communicating her desire and love.

And then he entered her as she sat up and pressed herself down onto him. So many sensations assaulted her physically. She tried to let go of the Force enough to sink entirely within her own body. She wanted this moment to be about the two of them, not about life itself. They were individuals. They were worthy of pleasure and joy. And she would pleasure Anakin with her own merits.

Anakin watched Obi-Wan through a veil of lust. She was the most beautiful thing he had ever witnessed. She said he glowed, but her glow increased one hundred-fold with their intimate connection. He moved slowly within her, memorizing her folds and curves. Savor, he told himself. Savor her as she is in this moment. Perhaps that was one more thing that he had mastered due to her teaching. Living in the moment. He felt her shrink away from him through the Force. But he understood her purpose.

Obi-Wan leaned forward on her arms, bracing herself on either side of his head. Rolling her hips, she moved up and down his cock in her own time. Every movement was filling him up with more desire. He knew that he wouldn't last long because of the strength of that desire, the newness of everything multiplying it every second. Every toss of her hair, every flash of her lust-laden eyes told him that she was as enthralled as he. She knew how to take her own pleasure as well as give him his. Her elevated position allowed the friction of his lower abdomen and the soft curly hair there to stimulate her clitoris, keeping her pleasure on pace with his.

Countless minutes passed as they made love with a passion neither of them had ever experienced before. No words could encompass the act. Their actions were all. As lights began to dance before their eyes, they clutched tighter, ached to be closer. And then all was light and brilliance. Their names on each others' lips in the moment of release spoke of their bond, their attachment. There was no retreat from it now. And neither would wish to.

They slept in each other's arms, skin to skin. In the morning, Anakin awoke to the feeling of the baby moving against his hip. He placed his hand over her small form and quietly hummed a lullaby his mother had sung to him. She settled immediately at the sound of his voice, and he thanked her for letting her mother sleep a little while longer. He looked at Obi-Wan in the circle of his arms, peaceful as she only was in sleep. He kissed her forehead lightly and settled back into the pillow.

Today they would return to the Temple. But they would never return to who they were before. They were new and resplendent in the Force—a family. It was more than a former slave boy had dreamed for his life.

THE END


End file.
